Taipei

:Alternative meaning: Taipei County

Transportation

Taipei's public transport system MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), now also known as metroTaipei, uses both a light rail system based on VAL technology and a conventional metro. Unlike most rail transport in Taiwan which follow the Japanese practice and have trains running on the left, the Taipei public transport system runs its trains on the right. See Taipei Rapid Transit System.

Related Topics:
Public transport - Light rail - VAL - Metro - Rail transport - Taipei Rapid Transit System

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Taipei Main Station is the largest Taiwanese railway station and also functions as the nexus for the MRT system.

Related Topics:
Taipei Main Station - Taiwanese railway

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Nearby Taoyuan hosts Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, which serves Taipei for international flights. There is also Sungshan Domestic Airport in the heart of the city.

Related Topics:
Taoyuan - Chiang Kai-shek International Airport - Sungshan Domestic Airport

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An extensive city bus system runs throughout the city to serve areas not covered by the MRT system. Some buses require payment per passenger at pick-up time, and others at drop-off time. Riders of the city MRT system are able to use their MRT passes on buses for discounted rates, making the bus system effectively an extension of the MRT system. The passes, known as Easy Cards contain credits which are deducted each time a ride is taken. The Easy Card, which is the Taipei's equivalent to Hong Kong's Octopus Card, is extremely convenient since it is read via sensory panels on buses and in MRT stations capable of scanning through wallets or purses, thus eliminating the need for the passenger to remove the card from his or her wallet or purse.

Related Topics:
Hong Kong - Octopus Card

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A quintessential form of transportation in Taipei (and much of Taiwan) is the ubiquitous motor-scooter, somewhat analogous to the motorcycles found in other industrialized nations. However, motor-scooters are not subject to conventional traffic laws, and generally thread between cars and occasionally through oncoming traffic. A loophole in Taipei's motor vehicle laws ensures that in any accident between a motor-scooter and another vehicle, the other vehicle is at fault. For these reasons, scooters are perhaps the most convenient (though environmentally unfriendly) way for locals to navigate through their city.

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